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Highways self-assessment due 'very shortly' minister reveals

The next round of the self-assessment process for local highways maintenance capital funding could start ‘very shortly’, transport minister Andrew Jones has revealed.

This year sees the potential losses for councils become much more stark as the amount of cash released and the amount that lower Band authorities lose rises significantly.

Councils in the lowest Band 1 category for 2017-2018 will lose 40% of their annual allocation from the total £578m Incentive Fund - running from 2015/16 and 2020/21 – while those in Band 2 this year will lose 10%.

It is expected that under the Incentive Fund £75m will be shared out in 2017-18 between all highway authorities in England, excluding London.

Mr Jones also announced that arrangements for the second tranche of the highways challenge fund could be released within the next few weeks.

The Challenge Fund is worth £575m from 2015/16 to 2020/21, and is allocated to major maintenance schemes or upgrades to street lighting. Guidance was released in 2014 for the first tranche of funding bids between 2015/16 and 2017/18.

Mr Jones told the National Highways and Transportation Network conference this month: ‘We will formally be launching the second annual self-assessment round for the incentive element of maintenance funding very shortly. This will be funding for the year 2017-18. We are also planning to announce arrangements for the second tranche of the challenge fund within the next few weeks.’

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